State looking to ban baggy pants

Sometimes, lawmakers spend time focusing on a whole lot of ridiculousness. This is one of those times.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have proposed making it illegal to have saggy pants throughout South Carolina, according to this story.

The proposed law says you can not appear in public wearing pants “three inches below the crest of his ileum” (hips), showing skin and/or underwear. Offenders would be hit with fines or community service — sometimes both.

This proposal is odd for so many reasons. First of all, are lawmakers only offended by a man’s underwear or skin (re: the ‘his’ in the proposed bill)? And, um, while this look is sloppy, so is wearing pajama bottoms to a restaurant or blood-stained clothes from hunting to the hardware store. But, alas, it’s a free country (supposedly) and dressing how you like — as long as you’re not flashing genitalia or or lady nipples at the Piggly Wiggly — should be OK.

This law, especially, seems to discriminate against the less-educated or those with a lower employment status (it’s unlike the medical community, lawyers, accountants, engineers, journalists are walking around with drooping drawers). I’m also not really sure why this is a true problem, other than perhaps being a bit of an eyesore.

Personally, I’m more disturbed by those plug/earring things people wear stretching out their earlobes. Sometimes, those things flat-out nauseate me. But … if I was a lawmaker I’m not going to propose an adult cannot do or wear something he or she likes or that is part of their style or individuality.